Fae Quoy tae Castle, twenty years on

The buildings of Westray - an Orkney island’s snapshot in time

A “herculean” volunteer effort by a number of folk in Westray has led to the publication of an updated second edition of Fae Quoy tae Castle, twenty years on - a book recording the island’s built heritage over the past two decades.

The first edition – Fae Quoy tae Castle – was published in 2002 thanks to the Westray Buildings Preservation Trust (WBPT) as a snapshot of the island’s dwellings houses and properties around the time of the millennium.

The book was the culmination of extensive research by volunteers at the WBPT and told the story of each of the island’s buildings with photographs and a record of dwelling occupancy or use over the years.  It proved to be a hugely popular publication, with two print runs both selling out quickly.

Twenty years on, the Westray Buildings Preservation Trust has evolved into the Westray Heritage Trust (WHT) and the group decided it was time for a second edition - a continuation of the original story, reflecting the changes that have happened over the intervening two decades.

Volunteers found homes have changed ownership, the island has seen significant new development and sadly some of the buildings occupied in 2002 are no longer inhabited.  Some properties have been extended or altered and some are no longer in existence at all, whilst new building projects added to the original record.

The task of researching and collating the information needed for the new publication was a considerable one.

WHT members, Alasdair McVicar, Nancy Scott, Angie Stout and Margaret Tulloch made up a ‘steering group’ with the role of coordinating, gathering and editing information.  A host of other volunteers played a vital role in collecting all the material needed - visiting households, helping people fill in surveys and sourcing photographs to accompany the text.  Once this task was complete, Malcolm Cinnamond professionally formatted the book and prepared it for printing.

The result of this is a beautifully presented book that is both a comprehensive record of the built heritage of Westray today, and an insight into island life and population through the habitation and use of dwellings and other buildings.

It is available at the Westray Heritage Centre and The Orcadian Bookshop in Kirkwall. All proceeds from sales will go back to the Trust to help maintain and enhance the Westray Heritage Centre.

An opportunity to secure funding for this second edition arose through the lottery funded North Isles Landscape Partnership Scheme (NLPS) who assisted with printing costs and a contribution towards staff time to produce the book.

Valerie Dawson, from NLPS, said: “We were delighted to support the Westray Heritage Trust with this superb second edition of a book that not only records a period in history for generations to come, but also shows true community spirit at its best and a herculean effort by those involved!

“The book is not just of interest to those with a Westray connection but to anyone keen to reflect on a changing and evolving landscape, from the dwellings and buildings to island life and the people who make up the community.”

The North Isles Landscape Partnership Scheme, as the name implies, comprises a range of funding partners including Heritage Fund, Historic Environment Scotland, NatureScot, Highlands & Islands Enterprise and Orkney Islands Council.

Tom Ingrey-Counter, Senior Investment Manager at the Heritage Fund, who visited Westray Heritage Centre with some members of the Trust in Orkney in May, said: “The effort, care and skill that has gone into producing this updated edition is impressive. This is just the sort of locally led initiative that the Fund is proud to support through the North Isles Landscape Partnership Scheme. I‘m confident that the updated version will be in as high demand as its predecessor.”